How much better (or worse) does everyone think our record, seed, and outlook for the post season be if B-Rush didn't get hurt?

Not sure if Rush would have given us enough to get the 4th seed (55 wins), but our outlook for the playoffs would be much better with a good, veteran SF. We might be better in the long run with Barnes getting all the PT he got due to Rush's injury, but no doubt that at this point Rush is better in basically every measurable way - defense, scoring, shooting, etc...

I think we would be able to pull off 2-4 more wins. He would've taken away a lot of minutes from Green which I wouldn't have minded. Rush probably doesn't provide as much rebounds as Green, but what he lacks for in rebounds he makes up in offense. Rush is 5 times better than Green on the offensive side of the ball. We definitely could've used him this year, but it's great that we'll still have him next year.

Rush is an A-level perimeter defender, which was our biggest weakness without him. It's tricky to say how much better we'd be with him cause he doesn't start - compared to someone like Bogut, who makes a more direct impact. But I'll tell you this: Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, and various other mediocre outside players wouldn't make a complete ass outta BRush like they did the Thompson/Barnes duo. Rush would have addressed the team's biggest need... But a win improvement is tough to predict.

32 wrote:Rush is an A-level perimeter defender, which was our biggest weakness without him. It's tricky to say how much better we'd be with him cause he doesn't start - compared to someone like Bogut, who makes a more direct impact. But I'll tell you this: Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, and various other mediocre outside players wouldn't make a complete ass outta BRush like they did the Thompson/Barnes duo. Rush would have addressed the team's biggest need... But a win improvement is tough to predict.

That's exactly what I've been saying all season, particularly when we were in the market for Rudy Gay. Rush would have addressed that gaping hole in our parameter defense.

32 wrote:Rush is an A-level perimeter defender, which was our biggest weakness without him. It's tricky to say how much better we'd be with him cause he doesn't start - compared to someone like Bogut, who makes a more direct impact. But I'll tell you this: Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, and various other mediocre outside players wouldn't make a complete ass outta BRush like they did the Thompson/Barnes duo. Rush would have addressed the team's biggest need... But a win improvement is tough to predict.

That's exactly what I've been saying all season, particularly when we were in the market for Rudy Gay. Rush would have addressed that gaping hole in our parameter defense.

Oh, dude, Gay was merely the last of a long list of players we passed on.

I was going absolutely bonkers trying to sell this forum on Andre Iguodala before the season. I got a lot of flack for even suggesting we swap the #7 pick or Klay Thompson for him. And at the end of the year, Denver - led by glue-guy, Andre Iguodala, whose shut down opposing scorers all year - is sitting in the 3-seed while we wait to face them as the 6-seed... but, hey, we sure made a lot of three-pointers this year!!!

Instead of having Andre Iguodala to mute our opposition's best player, we'll have to deal with him shadowing Steph Curry for the entirety of the series. You gotta wonder how much more effective Curry would potentially be against Lawson or Miller...

32 wrote:Rush is an A-level perimeter defender, which was our biggest weakness without him. It's tricky to say how much better we'd be with him cause he doesn't start - compared to someone like Bogut, who makes a more direct impact. But I'll tell you this: Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, and various other mediocre outside players wouldn't make a complete ass outta BRush like they did the Thompson/Barnes duo. Rush would have addressed the team's biggest need... But a win improvement is tough to predict.

That's exactly what I've been saying all season, particularly when we were in the market for Rudy Gay. Rush would have addressed that gaping hole in our parameter defense.

Oh, dude, Gay was merely the last of a long list of players we passed on.

I was going absolutely bonkers trying to sell this forum on Andre Iguodala before the season. I got a lot of flack for even suggesting we swap the #7 pick or Klay Thompson for him. And at the end of the year, Denver - led by glue-guy, Andre Iguodala, whose shut down opposing scorers all year - is sitting in the 3-seed while we wait to face them as the 6-seed... but, hey, we sure made a lot of three-pointers this year!!!

Instead of having Andre Iguodala to mute our opposition's best player, we'll have to deal with him shadowing Steph Curry for the entirety of the series. You gotta wonder how much more effective Curry would potentially be against Lawson or Miller...

I wanted to deal Monta for Iggy when it seemed like a possibility last season. I also would have dealt the no. 7 for Iggy in a heartbeat, I'm not as quick on the trigger with Klay. I know Iggy is far better, but... I don't have an intelligent explanation for that one.

32 wrote:Rush is an A-level perimeter defender, which was our biggest weakness without him. It's tricky to say how much better we'd be with him cause he doesn't start - compared to someone like Bogut, who makes a more direct impact. But I'll tell you this: Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, and various other mediocre outside players wouldn't make a complete ass outta BRush like they did the Thompson/Barnes duo. Rush would have addressed the team's biggest need... But a win improvement is tough to predict.

That's exactly what I've been saying all season, particularly when we were in the market for Rudy Gay. Rush would have addressed that gaping hole in our parameter defense.

Oh, dude, Gay was merely the last of a long list of players we passed on.

I was going absolutely bonkers trying to sell this forum on Andre Iguodala before the season. I got a lot of flack for even suggesting we swap the #7 pick or Klay Thompson for him. And at the end of the year, Denver - led by glue-guy, Andre Iguodala, whose shut down opposing scorers all year - is sitting in the 3-seed while we wait to face them as the 6-seed... but, hey, we sure made a lot of three-pointers this year!!!

Instead of having Andre Iguodala to mute our opposition's best player, we'll have to deal with him shadowing Steph Curry for the entirety of the series. You gotta wonder how much more effective Curry would potentially be against Lawson or Miller...

I wanted to deal Monta for Iggy when it seemed like a possibility last season. I also would have dealt the no. 7 for Iggy in a heartbeat, I'm not as quick on the trigger with Klay. I know Iggy is far better, but... I don't have an intelligent explanation for that one.

Klay is still growing. Much like how we thought Curry had hit his ceiling, he goes and beats the 3 point record and averages 20+ for the year. Prior to the season, I also didn't know he had that type of handles. Klay FOR SURE is not done growing. At the beginning of the year he struggled. Then he settled down and started hitting the shots he normally did at the end of last year. Then about a little past the half way point of the season, he showed us he can set up for his teammates. After the San Antonio game, he showed us he can effectively guard the opponent's best perimeter player. Towards the end he showed that he has a back to the basket game. This is all in the span of one season. I get excited as hell thinking about how much he'll improve by next year. At least that's why I wouldn't have pulled the trigger on Klay for Iggy. Don't get me wrong though, it would've been a very tough decision.

Couple all that with the growth of Barnes, Bazemore, addition of Rush, and 100% Bogut? We have something on our hands, man.

I agree 8th ave, the team has yuoth that will only improve over the next few years and already the team has made the playoffs with their great Center hardly playing.

I think Rush is a solid player that himself could get better, but I don't think the team would have won more. In fact, as much as I dislike to hear myself say this, I think Rush's injury was somewhat of a blessing in disguise, because Barnes and Green got to play quite a bit and heading into the future, Barnes is certainly going to be a main player while Rush will be battling Green for the backup SF spot. Green does the hardnosed dirty work, playing bigger than he is and that is valuable. Green is also cheap right now and given much for the money he gets. Rush could be the backup SG and do it well.

I'm very, VERY optimistic of the current team for next season, health the only thing permitting. It will end up being who stays (if all are in fact kept for next season) after next season that will be huge, with Bogut's contract, as well as Rush's and Landry (if he doesn't opt out).